The Unfettered Pursuit of Happiness

January 13, 2010

Evolving in Retirement. Or not.

I have admitted on this very blog that I sometimes watch the Fox News Network. I think some of you may have misinterpreted that little character flaw of mine to mean that I actually like watching the Fox News Network.

My fascination with Fox News is actually more akin to my reaction to a 10 car pile-up on the highway, I slow down to see, even though I know I won't like what I see. It's more like when I'm glued to the TV for days after a natural disaster or attempted terrorist attack; I don't really learn anything new, I just can't stop watching. It's like approaching roadkill and vowing to avert my gaze, but then looking down just in time to see what kind of animal it was, and then being bothered by the image for the rest of the day.

Which is why I just don't get how, according to this New York Times article, Fox News is the most profitable "news" network over all the others, cable and network, combined. (And this was even before Sarah Palin accepted a post as commentator. Between her and Ann Coulter, I'll never be able to turn it off!)

At this point, you may be wondering what this has to do with retirement. Well nothing really, except that I had thought when I retired, I would start to evolve as a person and give up my compulsive fixation with being liked. When I admitted my Fox News weakness again more recently, and some people thought I watched it because I actually liked it, I worried about not being liked.

Which I'm actually totally fine with, as long as you don't like me for, in fact, hating the Fox News Network.

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

I watch Fox News. I start at 4PM and DVR Cavuto wrap up the business day while simultaneously watching The Bloomberg Report. Immediately after Cavuto, I watch Glenn Beck. Then I switch to my local CBS station and watch the local news. Then I watch Katie Couric do the evening news. I used to watch Charlie Gibson but will not watch Diane Sawyer (she always looks like she needs a bathroom in a hurry).
In the interim, I am taping (DVR) the PBS News Hour and PBS Business Report. I watch them later in the evening. I also watch NOW and P.O.V and sometimes Frontline. (Life Part 2 is excellent for us boomers!)

And yes, I also watch Bill O'Reilly but his show is the last Fox program I view. I will never watch Hannity nor Greta.

On Sunday, I tape Face the Nation, ABC NEWS with George Stephanopolis (?), Good Day Sunday (CBS) and NBC Meet The Press as well as Chris Wallace on the local FOX network. I also watch 60 Minutes.

I daily read The NY Times, The NY Post and NY Daily News. the Wall St Journal, Politico, Reuters, CNN Money and CNBC Business as well as The Huffington Post, Drudge Report and Google News. Then I read my local paper here in NY and the local paper in my summer locale in Rhode Island.

I will not watch the local NBC news or evening news because it is just too, too blantantly slanted, you can cut it with a knife. CNBC, MSNBC is also out of the question. The only good thing on CNBC (besides the stock market daily wrap up) is Suze Orman, but I download her for free on my iTunes and watch her on my iPod at night.

Occasionally I will read USA Today and US World News Report. Throw in a Newsweek, a Time mag the UK Telegraph.

What do I do to relax?

I read.

I have a subscription to Elle and Woman's Day. I also go to my local library at least 3X a week. Right now, I am reading 'Arguing With Idiots' by Glenn Beck and 'Light Snow' by Anita Shreve (I've read almost all her books). Last week I was reading about Italian Fascism. Go figure.

In addition, I read at least 50 blogs a day.

I can positively state that I am a certified 'know it all.'

PS: Where do I work? In a law office (part time) and guess what I do at work? I read the law. Yummy. Love it!

Syd,
One of the great things about being (semi) retired is that I have a lot of time on my hand. I was never able to do this before. I want to know what's going on now in the world, America, New York and my home town. It's wonderful.
I start early in the AM reading all the newspapers online. TV doesn't go on till 4PM. I've been known to stay up at night till 2 or 3 in the morning. As we age, we sleep less.
In addition to being a news fanatic, I also read about my hobbies (sewing, travel, anything to do with MONEY). Plus I write my blog and numerous 'Letters to The Editor' which always get published.

I want to hear all sides and come to my own conclusions.

I'm a rip at cocktail parties!

I didn't even mention that I also watch the Italian News (in Italian), the BBC and World Focus.

I probably misinterpreted it, as it was quite surprising. You must have a stronger stomach than I do to watch the Fox Opinion channel...I see no news on it.

I always find it interesting that the self proclaimed "patriots" and "real" Americans watch the only news channel owned by a foreigner who has stated publicly he only became a U.S. citizen because the law did not allow foreign citizens to own media companies. Even though that is a little off topic, I had to say it, as it has always bothered me.

I was one of the people who was surprised that you were a "fan" of FOX News without digging further to see why. I hoped to have found someone who disagreed with me but could explain the phenomena and why people found it "fair".

I understand the other impulse, watching something disturbing out of weird fascination. Perhaps this is why FOX News is so profitable. That and all of the money that they save by not hiring fact checkers.

I watch sometimes because I think I should understand the other point of view. But I'm afraid that it doesn't help.

I also skip MSNBC. Though they tend to lean more in my direction, they start with as much of a preconceived idea as FOX does. Neither help me understand the issues. Jon Stewart does great interviews on the Daily Show.

The White House appointed a panel whose job is to watch Fox News 24/7 and notify FOX if anything reported is inaccurate. WH has a direct (red) phone line to FOX. If you'd watch, you'd a known. If FOX makes an error, and they have made a few, they must quickly correct it and announce it to the public.

So, the comment:

"I understand the other impulse, watching something disturbing out of weird fascination. Perhaps this is why FOX News is so profitable. That and all of the money that they save by not hiring fact checkers."

is laughable.

Also, Jon Stewart is a self-professed commedienne and The Daily Show is a comedy show. It is NOT a news show nor does it claim to be (as Jon Stewart often reminds his viewers). Anyone who gets their news from The Daily Show or believes the interviews from the comedy show is a comic just like Jon Stewart.

I often wonder why news shows use comedy stars to comment on the news. What qualifies them to make judgment calls regarding politics? O'Reilly uses Denis Miller, Joy Behar constantly uses comedic talent, as with George Carlin and Bill Mahar (and Jon Stewart) the masses believe their rants. Why? Carlin was in deep financial trouble with the IRS so his disdain for America was quite evident in his comedy (and understandable). He had problems with the Catholic Church which caused him to blast God (and ask Jesus to bring him the pork chops). Carlin's personal problems were reflected in his biased opinions, as is with most other comics. Comics therefore are not the best choices to have their comments erected as fact (unless they alert the listener to their own biases).

As someone who watches a great many newscasts, my own opinion regarding the popularity of FOX News is that their reporting makes more common sense than the others. Somehow, Napolitano telling Americans that 'the system worked' just couldn't ring true. Maybe on MSNBC and The Cris (quiver up the leg) Matthews Show it did, but the left slant of the news media right now is so thick, you can cut it with a knife. Most Americans are just sick of it, thus the decline in most liberal media outlets and the surge in conservative outlets, such as FOX News. IMHO.

Personally, I like to watch the left, right, liberal and conservative and guess what? I make up my own mind.

@Morrison: I'm sure you'd agree, there's a big difference between "reporting the news" and "making judgment calls regarding politics." Most of the folks you mentioned (including Chris Matthews and Bill O'Reilly) do not really report the news. They are opinion shows, and as far as commenting on politics, we are all qualified to do that whether we are comedians, bloggers, blog readers or just regular citizens that don't even follow the news.

Most of the content of Fox and MSNBC are reporting people's opinions of recent events, rather than just reporting the events themselves. That's why you get all those talking heads screaming at each other on these shows. Whether a particular element is in the health care bill, for example, is a fact which news journalists report. But whether that element should or shouldn't be in there, that's opinion.

I get why someone wouldn't want to form their own opinions by watching other people argue, interrupt, and yell theirs at each other. It's a bit hard to stomach at times. But the truth is, I do find it entertaining, which is why you'll often find me channel flipping between those channels, Fox among them.

@Morrison,
I would really like to find someone who disagrees with me as much as you do to have a conversation with. I do want to understand how so much anger exists between people who generally live their lives quite similarly. But when you call me a clown it gets difficult. (I know, I said that your guys need fact checkers. I'm guilty also.)

I said that Jon Stewert does good interviews. Lots of very conservative people come on his show and have very interesting conversations with him. I know that he isn't doing the news. But he does actually let them talk and doesn't yell at them.

I'm really a nice person. I raised my child, spend time with my husband, work hard at my job and live a pretty simple midwestern life. I do listen to a variety of different opinions and make up my own mind. I just came to a different conclusion than you did. Because I disagree with you politically, doesn't make me a bad person.

I very much think that we'd all be better off if we could lower the decible level on some of this stuff and actually listen to each other.

and Syd, I'm sorry if I'm taking this conversation in a direction that you didn't intend.

@Chris, I don't mind at all. In fact, I strive to be more like you. I have really tried hard not to discuss politics with my conservative friends because it always makes me think less of them afterward. And that's really terrible, I know! I an striving to get past this "Republicans=mean, Democrats=nice" mentality of mine. And I'll tell you my addiction to Fox News does NOT help in this regard. It only makes me more entrenched in this viewpoint when I watch Karl Rove, Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity, and Dick Morris with their hateful spewing.

I caught Huckabee the other day and LOVED something he said: "I'm a conservative Republican but I'm not MAD at anyone!!" I usually disagree with his politics, but love that approach.